BEAVER FALLS, Pa. — The Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls has launched a major rehabilitation project aimed at restoring its historic 1903 building and expanding community services across Beaver County.
Titled “The Carnegie Library Reimagined: Preserve the Past, Gather the Future,” the initiative includes plans for a virtual reality career lab and the potential reopening of long-closed spaces in the 35,000-square-foot landmark.
Phase One of the project is currently underway with a completion target of summer 2027. Initial work focuses on an architectural review, assessing the building for use as an event center and gathering public feedback. Recent grants from H. R. Smith and the Allegheny Foundation are providing key financial support for the preservation work.
A major component of the renovation is examining the feasibility of reopening the auditorium, which has been sealed since the 1960s. The plans also include restoring the third-floor ballroom, repairing historic stained glass and upgrading infrastructure throughout the facility.
Deanna Jacobs serves as project manager for the renovation. She emphasized the building’s historical role in the community.
“For more than a century, this building has been the heart of Beaver Falls,” Jacobs said. “This project honors that legacy by opening spaces that have been closed for decades and making the Carnegie a place where all of Beaver County can gather, learn and create.”
To guide the revival of these spaces, project organizers are soliciting resident feedback through an online and print community survey. Engagement efforts will also include design workshops for the auditorium and ballroom, focus groups with local educators and artists, hard hat tours of the hidden third floor and an oral history project collecting stories from before the auditorium was sealed.
“We want to hear from the people who use this library and from those who haven’t been through our doors in years,” Jacobs said. “The survey is the first step in making sure the new spaces and services reflect what Beaver County needs.”
The initiative includes a Virtual Reality Career Exploration Lab, developed with input from local business leaders to connect residents with employment opportunities. The library is collaborating with Geneva College, the City of Beaver Falls, local school districts and historical societies to tie the building project to the broader revitalization of the 7th Avenue corridor.
Funding efforts rely on community support, including the CFLBF Legacy Program, which adds a bookplate for contributions of $25 or more. Additional fundraising initiatives include an engraved brick walkway, benefit concerts and events hosted at adjacent Falls Park.
Progress updates will be posted on the library’s Facebook page under “Behind the Scaffolding.” Residents can also hear updates during the board of trustees’ monthly meetings, which take place on the second Wednesday of each month.
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